Can molting chickens freeze to death?

We have a bunch of girls molting right now. Temps are around 30 during the day and around 20 at night, sometimes colder. We cover the windows and the pop door on the coop on colder nights but leave it open when the temp is above 25 - 30 degrees at night. Last night it got down to 26.

Today we went out to check food and water and get eggs and our molting Barred Rock was dead in the coop under the roosting bar. She was nearly bare yesterday when I saw her eating and drinking. She had no injuries and since it was around 40 degrees today she wasn't frozen, just stiff from being dead.

Did she freeze to death last night?

RSL, Buffs, RIR, Amber Rocks and GLWs. Three turkeys getting ready for Thanksgiving. One GLW Rooster crowing over them all.

Do you have a pic of how much she molted out? She could have. Are you sure she didn't have a sinus infection or anything?

When I saw her last night, she was bare except for some wing feathers, one large tail feather and just a handful on her back. I didn't know what to do about her. Leave her in the coop so she grew back the right feathers or bring her into the heated garage and chance her growing back thin feathers. I left her. With 21 other chickens, 1.5 feet of straw and an insulated coop, I thought it would be enough.

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Originally Posted by Roada Red

I would say that could be why but how cold was it last night

It got down to 26 degrees last night. We have one other who is just finishing a molt and she was nearly bare when we had below 0 temps and she was ok. Not even frostbite. We have two or three others in various stages of molt.

RSL, Buffs, RIR, Amber Rocks and GLWs. Three turkeys getting ready for Thanksgiving. One GLW Rooster crowing over them all.

Did she have any blood on her? I know some molts can leave them pretty naked but maybe she was plucked to death?21 seems like alot in an area. I have 6 in my coop. Its about 3 1/2 x 5 ft, and don't have a heat lamp. It's pretty blocked off, but we've had single digit temps and are all ok.

Did she have any blood on her? I know some molts can leave them pretty naked but maybe she was plucked to death?21 seems like alot in an area. I have 6 in my coop. Its about 3 1/2 x 5 ft, and don't have a heat lamp. It's pretty blocked off, but we've had single digit temps and are all ok.

She didn't have any blood on her, just naked. The coop is 6x8x8 with an attached 24x6x8 run. We had 30 at one time. Between genetic issues with RSLs, predators and old age, my numbers are dwindling. We keep a large quantity of straw in the coop as bedding. They kick most of it out into the run.

RSL, Buffs, RIR, Amber Rocks and GLWs. Three turkeys getting ready for Thanksgiving. One GLW Rooster crowing over them all.